Since the beginning of time, people discussed and analyzed the
             concept of the tragic hero in epic poetry and other stories. An epic poem
             consists of a hero of high caliber whose actions affect a nation or a group of
             people. The deeds of this hero must be exceedingly brave and have
             supernatural elements. Many of these stories first began as an oral
             tradition then eventually became written pieces of literature. "Oral
             literature comprises a vast range of verbal products, including modern
             blues lyrics, African drum songs, ancient Greek epic poetry, folk tales, etc."
             Even when the heroes are characters of different authors, they share
             common characteristics and abide by certain personality traits which
             define them as heroes. A hero is an example of valiancy and intelligence.
             In times of danger a hero must remain strong, brave, and audacious.
             Many epic poems consist of tragedy's. Tragedies contain several key
             points. First, they cannot be discussed and must be able to be acted out.
             They also include a hero of high stature and nobility. The tragic hero must
             have a tragic flaw, such as an excess of pride, ambition, passion, or some
             other trait that leads directly to disaster. Aristotle describes that the key
             element to a tragedy is that it should invoke Catharsis. The spectators
             should be purged of their emotions of pity and fear through their vicarious
             participation in the drama. In the Greek times, these plays were the center
             of their culture and society. They used tragedies to demonstrate how
             fragile their own lives could be. If a hero couldn't escape fate and pain
             then neither could they. It also enforced the theory that no one is above
             the gods and no person can control their destiny. Finally, a tragedy must
             employ formal, poetic writing with the use of noble language. Two stories
             that demonstrate a tragedy which a tragic hero are Hamlet, and Oedipus
             Rex. These stories show how the tragic hero h...